Catching Crooks on Crapshoot Craigslist

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It's really fun.

I had answered an ad for a property that was listed for rent. It seemed like a good option and wasn't priced unreasonably low or high. If it's too high, they value their rental property too much and will likely stiff you on the security deposit when you move and kill yourself cleaning the place. If it's too low, they're probably in foreclosure and just want whatever money they can get so you'll be surprised one morning when the sheriff shows up to move you out.

The reply I received claimed the landlords were peaceful missionaries to country in Africa (didn't even bother picking one) and that, even though the home has a realtor for sale sign in the yard, they are renting the property. Naturally, they wouldn't be able to meet me in person because they're off saving the world.

So I drove by the place and got the realtor's information. Then I looked up the tax roll and contacted the actual owners. I also flagged the post on Craigslist.

I have to say, trying to rent a home that's for sale is a new scam. I've not encountered that one before!

I wish more people were like you! I hate those scams; especially when they try to steal from us under the color of religion (i.e. missionaries overseas).

We have a couple of rental homes, and I had to get a broker to lease them out for us after too many would-be tenants shied away from me, thinking I'm shifty (Asperger's eyes, etc etc), and thought maybe we didn't own the houses. It's a bad deal for renters AND landlords. I also spot SO MANY car sales ads on CL, which are obviously scams to send money overseas. Usually it's a "too good to be true" price that will clue you in, or a picture that obviously doesn't match the text, but not always!

The bottom line is that if we all do what you did, the scams would come to a crashing end

Charles

I do background checks on my potential landlords, I require meeting them in person, and I check the tax roll to make sure they own the property and research the property's history as much as possible. I ask questions like, "Which bank will you put the security deposit in?" because it gives a not-so-subtle butt kick that I know what they need to be doing so if they didn't know, they better get their act together. Unless the landlord outright refuses, I require that they meet my dog so they know how big he is, what his temperament is like, and his medical history. Every flaw in the place is detailed as an addendum on the lease. Everything we fix receives credit, either as reimbursement at the end of the lease term or against any damages that would need to be withdrawn from the security deposit. Thanks to a previous experience, now there will be language that defines "emergency maintenance" and what compensation is due to me if the landlord fails to provide maintenance when its necessary within the allotted timeframe. I never sign a lease that's not an actual legal document with everything outlined accurately within the four corners.

Keep in mind, I'm never late on the rent and I take care of the place. I'm a tenant worth having. My husband, four kids and visiting step-daughter just mean there's twelve more hands to keep the place nice.

Some landlords are really freaked out by how I handle things. It's pretty funny when they say, "Fill out this application." and I say, "And you fill out this one." (It's a standard consent for background check conditional on acceptance of application.) I don't pay any application fees. They want to search my background, they do it on their dime. Likewise I will pay for my costs in checking them. If they don't calm down when I point out that they're the ones receiving my money and I'm not going to be put into a position where we're scammed or kicked out from foreclosure, then they're not the kind of people I want to deal with. I guess they're so used to the idea that they OWN the place so it's their rules; but, this is a business agreement bound with a legal contract. I have rights, too. There was one landlord who really liked me for this. Of course, he had a solid history of being a landlord, top of the line credit, and knew exactly what he was doing. Nothing to be ashamed about there.

I've come across some pretty ridiculous landlords over the years. Some of them can't handle that I'm a woman and feel compelled to patronize me. One guy really freaked out because I knew terms like "3/2/2 on a dry lot" and was convinced that I was really a real estate agent only pretending to be a renter. I'll take a landlord that doesn't make eye contact any day of the week and twice on Sundays!

You go, Girl!